Yale Welcomes Four New Gymnasts

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After losing only one graduating senior in May, the Yale gymnastics team will get a strong boost in numbers with the addition of four incoming freshmen. Three of the newcomers hail from California, and the fourth is from Florida.

Brianna Chrisman joins the Bulldogs from San Jose, Calif. and is a member of Davenport College. Chrisman had a successful level 10 season in 2011 after coming back from several minor injuries. She had her highest all-around score of her level 10 career at the state meet, and she qualified for the regional championships. Chrisman trained at California Sports Center, where she was coached by Brian Loomis. Her favorite skill is a piked Jaeger on the uneven bars. She enjoys math, science and creative writing and plans to major in engineering or a science at Yale.

Joyce Li is from Palo Alto, Calif., where she trained at Airborne Gymnastics. She enters Yale as a member of Ezra Stiles. During her senior year of high school, Li placed second at the state championships and qualified to regionals. Li started gymnastics when she was eight years old after participating in a summer camp and falling in love with the sport. She plans to major in electrical engineering at Yale and enjoys painting in her spare time.

Katherine Lucas is from Claremont, Fla. At Yale, she is a member of Morse College. Lucas last competed in 2010, where she placed second on bars at the state championships, sixth in the all-around at the regional championships, and 12th on vault at the Junior Olympic national championships. She spent the 2011 season recovering from shoulder surgery. Lucas trained at Brandy Johnson's Global Gymnastics. Her favorite skills are a Jaeger on bars and an Onodi on beam.

Morgan Traina, a native of Stevenson Ranch, Calif., joins the Bulldogs from West Coast Elite Gymnastics. She is a member of Saybrook College. During her senior year of high school, Traina was the state champion on bars and claimed the beam title at both her state and regional competitions. Traina also won the all-around at the 2011 National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Traina received the 2011 So Cal Super Senior Award for achievement in athletics and academics. In addition to gymnastics, Traina is passionate about reading and music, and she hopes to become fluent in at least three languages.